Team Herald
PANJIM: As it gets tougher to tow the ‘unlucky’ casino ship Lucky 7 from Miramar beach, the salvors will be adding a third tugboat to existing two boats to pull the vessel out when the salvage exercise resumes early Thursday morning. A senior official told Herald that the operation will now be conducted twice daily, to ensure the boat is moved out at the earliest.
“A 22-tonne tug boat has been called from Mumbai. It will join the salvage operation at 6 am tomorrow (Thursday). We will then attempt to tow the vessel again during the afternoon hours. All this, however, depends on the tide,” said the official.
Two tug boats – 60 tonne and 15 tonne – have already been pressed into service, but the salvors, led by VMS Marine LLC, have failed in the operation even on the fourth day on Wednesday. The vessel moved 10-12 mtrs, facing the sea. In all, as on date, the off-shore casino ship has moved around 67 mtrs.
The salvors, justifying the delay, said that wind conditions are consuming time while it also does not want to ‘act hurriedly fearing it could rip the bottom’. “The sand deposits and water has already weakened the vessel from the bottom. Moving the vessel in haste could be disaster,” said an expert.
